The origins of joint visual attention in infants.
Two experiments examined the origins of joint visual attention with a training procedure. In Experiment 1, infants aged 6-11 months were tested for a gaze-following (joint visual attention) response under feedback and no feedback conditions. In Experiment 2, infants 8-9 months received feedback for either following the experimenter's gaze (natural group) or looking to the opposite side (unnatural group). Results of the 2 experiments indicate that (a) joint visual attention does not reliably appear prior to 10 months of age, (b) from about 8 months of age, a gaze-following response can be learned, and (c) simple learning is not sufficient as the mechanism through which joint attention cues acquire their signal value.
Corkum
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Department of Psychology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. vcorkum@nsis.com
Moore
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D000367:Age Factors; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological; D005246:Feedback; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*